Lenzie

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lenzie is an affluent village situated on the Glasgow - Edinburgh train line in the East Dunbartonshire council area, approximately six miles north-east of Glasgow city centre and one mile south of Kirkintilloch. It has a population of approximately 10,000.

It was built in the 19th century as a commuter town for those travelling to Glasgow and Edinburgh as its railway station is a stop between the two cities. The train station was actually built for people from Kirkintilloch, and they don't have one of their own. Lenzie means 'swamp land'^{[citation needed]}, and was formerly used for farming. Now it has several shops, schools, churches, parks and various sport clubs like any other suburb. Woodilee Hospital, once the biggest psychiatric hospital in Scotland, opened in 1874 and was gradually closed down from the mid-1990's. Lenzie Hospital, on the road to Auchinloch, for older people, also closed around this time.

Until the Second World War, housing was chiefly north of the railway station and south of the railway on the west side of Auchinloch Road. This consisted on Victorian and Edwardian villas and a few terraces and some 1920's and 1930's bungalows at Middlemuir and Kirkintilloch Road in north Lenzie. From the 1950's some Council housing was built at Gallowhill Avenue and High Gallowhill as well as private housing. In the south, housing was built at Millersneuk and Claddens, changing the image and the face of the village into a town.

Every year, Lenzie; like many other towns in East Dunbartonshire; has a Gala on the first Saturday in June, at the local rugby club. Each year, a Queen in Primary seven is chosen from one of the local primary schools, and 3 attendants from the other schools. There are various different events, food, rides, and several competitions.

The secondary school is Lenzie Academy, whose former pupils include Scotland rugby international, Andrew Henderson and Travis guitarist Andy Dunlop amongst others. More importantly, the former Secretary of State for Scotland, Tom Johnston, and the former Chairman of the Labour Party, Ian McCartney. There are four primary schools in Lenzie: Lenzie Moss, Lenzie Primary, Millersneuk and Holy Family, the later being a Roman Catholic school.

There are three churches in Lenzie: Lenzie Union Church and Lenzie Old Church (both Church of Scotland) and St Cyprian's (Scottish Episcopal Church).

There is a pub in the village named "Carriages" at Millersneuk. There is one Scout Group the 1st Lenzie, 12th Glasgow. In additiona there are two Boys' Brigade companies: 1st Lenzie (attached to Lenzie Union Church) and 2nd Lenzie (attached to Lenzie Old Church).